CONVENTION ON UNEP/CMS/COP13/Doc. 27.1.

MIGRATORY 25 September 2019

SPECIES Original: English

13th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Gandhinagar, India, 17 - 22 February 2020
Agenda Item 27.1

PROPOSAL FOR THE INCLUSION OF

THE BENGAL FLORICAN (Houbaropsis bengalensis bengalensis)
IN APPENDIX I OF THE CONVENTION

Summary:

The Government of the Republic of India has submitted the

attached proposal for the inclusion of the Bengal Florican
(Houbaropsis bengalensis bengalensis) in Appendix I of CMS.

The geographical designations employed in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever
on the part of the CMS Secretariat (or the United Nations Environment Programme) concerning the legal status of
any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for the
contents of the document rests exclusively with its author
 PROPOSAL FOR INCLUSION IN CMS APPENDICES

A. PROPOSAL

To include the Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis bengalensis in the Appendix I of

the Convention on Migratory Species

B. PROPONENT
India (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change)

C. SUPPORTING STATEMENT
The Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis bengalensis, an iconic, critically endangered
species of topmost conservation priority, exhibits transboundary movements, and its
migration exposes it to threats such as land use changes, collision with power
transmission line at boundary area of India-Nepal and probable power-line collisions.
Inclusion of the species in Appendix I of CMS will aid in transboundary conservation
efforts facilitated by International conservation bodies and existing international laws
and agreement.

1. Taxonomy
1.1 Class - Aves
1.2 Order - Otidiformes
1.3 Family - Otididae
1.4 Genus, species or subspecies, including author and year -Bengal Florican
Houbaropsis bengalensis(J.F. Gmelin, 1789)
1.5 Scientific synonyms –Eupodotis bengalensis
1.6 Common name(s), in all applicable languages used by the Convention
Charas, Charg (Urdu, Hindi), Ulu Moira (Assamese) and Dao Triling (Bodo).

2. Overview
The Bengal Florican is a Critically Endangered bird, with the South Asian subspecies
H.b.bengalensis restricted to the terai and duars grassland regions of the Indo-Gangetic
and Brahmaputra floodplains. This is the highest of IUCN’s categories of
endangerment, and is only applied to species closest to extinction. Populations of this
species have declined mainly as a result of habitat loss, habitat degradation and
hunting. In the Indian subcontinent, the species no longer breeds outside PAs except
few pockets in Brahmputra flood plains (BirdLife International 2001).

3 Migrations
3.1 Kinds of movement, distance, the cyclical and predicable nature of the migration
Recent telemetry studies in India and Nepal indicate that birds disperse from grassland
reserves annually during the flooding, probably because the grass grows too tall and

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dense. All three fatalities among 11 satellite-tagged birds occurred between mid-August
and mid-September when birds left protected breeding areas for adjacent degraded
grassland and farmland near human settlements (DNPWC 2016, Jha et al. 2018),
suggesting that they were victims of hunting or predation, and that threat levels in non-
breeding habitats are high and probably the critical/limiting factor for the species’
survival.

3.2 Proportion of the population migrating, and why that is a significant proportion
Based on telemetry studies, birds from Nepal and parts of Uttar Pradesh share non
breeding areas in floodplains of rivers Sharda, Koshi, Narayani and Rapti. Satellite-
tracking studies in India and Nepal have revealed that birds (both males and females)
occupy non-breeding areas located 5-80km from breeding sites outside Protected Areas
and near large rivers in floodplain-agriscapes with a mosaic of groundcover types
including grassland (under Reserved/Protected Forest categories), scrub and traditional
low intensity crop-fields.

4. Biological data (other than migration)

The Bengal Florican is omnivorous and known to feed on various seeds, grain, tender
shoots of grass and insects like grasshoppers, ants, beetles and even frogs. The breeding
season of Bengal Florican begins from February-March onward and lasts untilthe end of
June. During the breeding season, male birds establish individual territories in open
areas of short grasslands. The adult males show a characteristic flight display within the
territory to attract females for mating in an exploded lek breeding system. However, the
male strongly defends its territories from other intruder males. Apart from mating, the
male takes no further part in raising the next generation. The female does not constructa
proper nest, rather they just lay eggs after scraping the bare ground. In one clutch a
Bengal Florican lays one to two eggs. Incubation period, chick survival, post-fledging
dispersal are not known.

4.1 Distribution (current and historical)

Globally it is distributed in two isolated and disjunct populations recognized as distinct
subspecies- one in South East Asia in Cambodia (H.b.blandini) and the other in South
Asia in India and Nepal (H.b.bengalensis). The global population of Bengal Florican is
estimated at <1000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2016). It is already locally
extinct from Bangladesh and perhaps from Vietnam as well. The Bengal Florican
inhabits patches of alluvial grasslands (terai) from Uttar Pradesh to the foothills and
plains of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in India.

4.2 Population (estimates and trends)

Range maps in BirdLife International (2001) indicate that the species lost about 75% of
its South Asia range during the previous 150 years. Particularly indigenous people
began ploughing and planting up in the grasslands (Rahmaniet al.2017;Donaldet al.
2013). Even the few reserves where terai vegetation persists hold only small areas of

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suitable Bengal Florican habitat, and bird numbers are small and mostly declining—in
Nepal’s three major grassland parks, Shuklaphanta, Bardia and Chitwan, male numbers
fell from 29–41 in 1982 to 14–15 in 2007 (Donald et al. 2013). In Dudhwa National Park
and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Rahmani (2001) found 24 adult territorial males,
while in 2014, only eight territorial males were seen in Dudhwa NP, and none in
Kishanpur WLS. Similar declining trends were seen in Manas NP in Assam, while in
Kaziranga NP the species appear to be holding on (Rahmaniet al. 2017). A good
population of nearly 30 adult territorial males was found in D’Ering WLS in 2015-2016
(Rahmani et al. 2016).In South Asia overall, surveys in various areas suggest a
significant decline, with estimated population of 225-249 in 2017 (Collar et al 2017).

4.3 Habitat (short description and trends)

Bengal Florican inhabits lowland dry, or seasonally inundated, natural and semi-
natural grasslands, often interspersed with scattered scrub or patchy open forest
(Inskipp and Inskipp 1983, Narayan and Rosalind 1990a, Lahkar 2008), usually in
lowlands below 300 m asl (Baralet al. 1996, Choudhury 1996). It occurs in undisturbed
grassland patches of teraiand Brahmaputra valley that extend along the southern edge
of the Himalayas in India and Nepal (Rahmaniet al. 2017). The region is composed of
early successional riverine plant communities on alluvium deposited by changing water
courses.The Bengal Florican occupies subtly different habitats during the breeding and
non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season it inhabits floodplain alluvial
grasslands (Collar et al. 2018). In protected areas in India and Nepal these are
dominated by grasses such as Imperatacylindrica, Saccharum spontaneum, Erianthusmunja,
Vetiveriazizanioides, Narengaporphyrocoma, Cymbopogon martini andSclerostachyafusca(in
no particular order) (Jha et al. 2018).Suitable breeding habitat in India and Nepal is now
largely confined to protected areas (with the notable exception of birds that breed on
the Brahmaputra River chaporis), however even here inappropriate management
regimes, succession and hydrological processes have led to loss of habitat (Collar et al.
2017).

4.4 Biological characteristics

The Bengal Florican is a medium-sized ground-dwelling bird, about 60 cm tall while
standing. It shows distinct sexual dimorphism. The adult males have black head, neck
and body with white wings which is distinctly visible when in flight. However, when
standing the white wings are seen as a thin patch on either side of the body. The back is
mottled with buff-brown. During the breeding season males have a thick cluster of
feathers hanging under the breast. On the other hand, the female and immature male is
dull brown and mottled on the back. The females are slightly larger in size than the
male, unlike that in other bustards except for the Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus.
Females are hard to locate and are cryptically coloured. Consequently, females are less
frequently seen than the conspicuous territorial males during the breeding season. The
Bengal Florican is omnivorous and known to feed on various seeds, grain, tender shoots
of grass and insects like grasshoppers, ants, beetles and even frogs.

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4.5 Role of the taxon in its ecosystem
The alluvial grassland of Assam is a unique habitat of Bengal Florican and supports
many globally threatened species like Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and
Pygmy Hog (Porculasalvania). The survival of these threatened species’ is ensured by the
presence of grassland and the protected areas of the Himalayan foothills in the north
bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has always been the stronghold for the species
in India.

5. Conservation status and threats

5.1 IUCN Red List Assessment (if available)
Bengal Florican is Critically Endangered (BirdLife International, 2018). Populations
have declined as a result of habitat loss, hunting and the species no longer breeds
outside Protected Areas in the Indian subcontinent, except in a few areas of
Assam(Rahmaniet al. 2017)).

5.2 Equivalent information relevant to conservation status assessment

The species has been listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act
1972 and protected since Independence. It is listed under CITES Appendix I, of which
India is a signatory. Studies have shown that their conservation is compatible with low-
intensity traditional human use of the landscape (Gray et al. 2007). Hence, the species
has been identified for recovery programme under the Integrated Development of
Wildlife Habitats (Centrally Sponsored Scheme) of the Ministry of Environment and
Forests, Government of India, 2009 (Duttaet al.2013).

5.3 Threats to the population (factors, intensity)

Exploitation by human, especially in the breeding season, was the major cause of
species' decline throughout its range. Rampant sports hunting during the British rule
(Pollok 1879) initiated the decline by 1920 (Inglis et al. 1920). Birds were easily shot and
were "among the best of table-birds" (Baker 1922- 1930). Even in the 1980s hunting
persisted in many areas (Narayan and Rosalind 1990a) and several instances of birds
being shot, snared or killed were reported from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
(Choudhury 1996, 1997, 2000). The Sahabad- Sayedabad tea estates in Darjeeling (West
Bengal) supported a small population which went extinct in the hands of local people
who openly admitted killing birds and robbing their nests (Narayan and Rosalind
1990b). Historically, terai grasslands were maintained by flooding and changing river
courses and grazing by large wild herbivores. Alteration of rivers led to the emergence
of new areas that were colonized by grass and shrubs, whilst older grasslands and
forests were eroded or submerged. Recently, terai rivers have been tamed by hydro-
electric and irrigation projects, while wild herbivore populations have been
dramatically reduced as human impact has increased radically. Newly emerging areas
are being rapidly converted to agriculture preventing colonization by grasses, and
existing fertile alluvial grasslands are also being cultivated. These recent developments

4
have disrupted the historical ecological processes that were critical for maintaining the
species’ habitat viability. Further, recent studies show that threats in non-breeding
habitats are high and perhaps the critical/limiting factor for the species’ persistence. But
further research is required to prioritize these threats.

5.4 Threats connected especially with migrations

Mortality associated with migration to non-breeding habitats has been demonstrated
for the Indo-Nepal population (Jha et al. 2018). Although there is a dearth of evidence
on power-line mortality for the Indo-Nepal population, this is a demonstrated threat for
the Cambodian population (Mahood et al. 2016). Hence, powerline mortality during
movement/migration can be a threat for the Indo-Nepal population too. In many areas
nest destruction through trampling by livestock greatly increased during the 1990’s
(Choudhury 1996; Narayan 1992). While birds might adapt to breed in certain crop-
fields, the chances of nest destruction during the weeding and harvesting periods is
very high (Ali et al. 1986). Accidental nest destruction also occurs due to human
activities in the periphery of PAs, for example collection of ripe Grewiasapida fruits in
Uttar Pradesh (Rahmani, 2001).

5.5 National and international utilization

Hunting for food, game and occasional collection of eggs

6. Protection status and species management

6.1 National protection status
The species is listed as Schedule I in Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 – the highest level
of protection in India.

6.2 International protection status

The species is enlisted in CITES Appendix I.

6.3 Management measures

Threats such as land-use changes, stray dogs, and power lines are increasing in Bengal
Florican habitats. However, reductions in hunting have been achieved, and that
practitioners have a good understanding of how to manage threats relating to habitat
conversion. Although some sites (e.g. Kaziranga, Manas) have achieved notable
reductions in threats, much more remains to be done.

6.4 Habitat conservation

Grassland Ecology: Long-term study on the impact of annual grass burning through
controlled and experimental grass plots to study the habitat utilization of Bengal
Florican. Bengal Florican conservation should be formally included as an integral part
of habitat management activities ofDudhwa, Pilibhit, Manas, Kaziranga, Orang, D’Ering
and other reserves. Temporal and spatial movement of this bird through satellite
tracking of at least 10 birds each at Dudhwa, Kaziranga, Manas and D’Ering reserves.

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Special attention to tag female Bengal Floricans with satellite transmitters to acquire
knowledge about nesting ecology and survival of chicks. Strict control on poaching and
trapping of Bengal Florican throughout its range, particularly when they are outside
PAs. General publicity amongst local communities about the importance of Bengal
Florican as an indicator species of tall wet grasslands of the terai and Brahmaputra
floodplains. Development of popular and technical literature on Bengal Florican in
Hindi, Assamese, Bengali and English. Drafting and implementation of state-specific
Bengal Florican Species Recovery Plans.

6.5 Population monitoring

Complete population censuses are used for population estimation in Cambodia (Gray et
al. 2009; Packman et al. 2013). Six sites that together support c.90% of the total
population have been monitored almost annually since 2012since 2005 (Mahood et al. In
press). Customized protocol and consistent monitoring methods have been maintained
across sites and years. Development of systematic and robust monitoring protocol is
necessary that needs to be implemented at the sub-species’ range scale periodically (2-3
years) and preferably in collaboration/coordination with Nepal.
7. Effects of the proposed amendment
7.1 Anticipated benefits of the amendment
The proposed amendment will help in better understanding about transboundary
movement of the birds and protection of the species against hunting and other human
induced mortality risks.

7.2 Potential risks of the amendment

There is no potential risk of the amendment

7.3 Intention of the proponent concerning development of an Agreement or

Concerted Action
An Agreement between two range countries to protect the bird from hunting, power-
line collision and habitat loss agents will aide in the species’ recovery as these factors
are unsustainable and require concerted transboundary actions.

8. Range States
India and Nepal

9. Consultations
Bird Conservation Nepal is a BirdLife Partner and work closely with BNHS, which is
also BirdLife International Partner in India. Further transboundary consultation is yet to
be undertaken. A similar proposal has been developed for the South-east Asian
population by WCS-Cambodia that will further aide in the species conservation.

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10. Additional remarks

11. References
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Baker, E.C.S. (1922-1930): The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, 2
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Nepal. BCN & DNPWC, Kathmandu, Nepal.

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Pollok, F. W. T. (1879). Sport in British Burmah, Assam, and the Cassyah and Jyntiah
hills. Chapman and Hall, London

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Pradesh, India. Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society.

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